Documents, maps, photographs and photographic slides pertaining to Johns' work in Libya. The majority of the collection relates to the sites at Cyrene, Euesperides and Tolmeita in Cyrenaica.
The collection also contains a small amount of material pertaining to sites in Tripolitania, specifically Lepcis Magna and Sabratha.
The image below is from D7/2/1/14 and may show Gasr Asceisc, located between Tocra and Tolmeita.
Cedric Norman Johns (1904 - 1992) was born on October 14th 1904. He studied at Emmanuel College, Cambridge before travelling to Palestine to teach in the Anglican Cathedral School of St George's and, subsequently, the British School of Archaeology in Jerusalem.
Departing a career in teaching in favour of archaeology, Johns became immersed in field archaeology. He became a staff member of the Department of Antiquities in Palestine 1930. A position he occupied for 18 years.
During his time at the Department of Antiquities in Jerusalem, he was involved in excavations with a number of other well-known archaeologists. These projects included J. W. Crowfoot's excavations on the Ophel, the Ajlun castle in Jordan with G. Horsfield, and the Meydum excavations in Upper Egypt which were directed by Alan Rowe.
Johns was primarily concerned in monumental archaeology - clearing, investigating, explaining and refurbishing standing masonry structures. This is reflected in his Libyan papers with a clear emphasis on sculpture and decoration.
He temporarily occupied the position of Controller of Antiquities in Tripoli, Libya, under the British Military Administration. It was during this period he became involved in work on sites at Cyrene and Euesperides, in Cyrenaica.
Johns left Libya permanently in 1954, returning to his native Wales to work as Principal Investigator with the Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments (RCAM) in Aberystwyth. Following his return to the UK, Johns continued his prolific career in British medieval archaeology.
He received the G. T. Clark Memorial Prize in the year of his retirement, 1969.
Johns died in 1992. His personal papers were donated to the Palestinian Exploration Fund (PEF) by his son, Dr Adam Johns, in the following year. The collection at the PEF includes documents, photographs, maps, and ephemera pertaining to the UK and the Middle East, including material relating to Libya.
Material within the collection has been arranged by format into four series;
1. Papers and Lectures
2. Photographs
3. Photographic Slides
4. Maps and Plans.
Available for general access
Please contact the BILNAS General Secretary on gensec@bilnas.org If you wish to consult the archive.
Deposited to the Society for Libyan Studies Archive at the University of Leicester, in 2012.
